HOLIDAY CROWD: Mass. roads may see record numbers

LOWELL -- More than 1.1 million people in Massachusetts are expected to travel this Fourth of July weekend, which could represent a record number for holiday travel.

This is an increase from approximately 700,000 people who traveled by car during the Memorial Day weekend in Massachusetts.

"What we're looking at now, based on what we saw from Memorial Day and now Fourth of July, might be a record-breaking summer for travel in general," said John Paul, senior manager of traffic safety and public affairs at AAA Northeast.

In Massachusetts, the great majority of people will be traveling by car, according to Paul, which also reflects national trends. The numbers reflect those who are traveling at least 50 miles away from their homes.

"We expect roadways to be pretty busy," Paul said. "What we're telling people is to have a lot of patience in traffic. The best advice is to look at the traffic reports."

The holiday falling on a Monday makes four-day weekends more likely as people are inclined to take Friday off from work, according to Paul. Although the holiday weekend is officially recognized as lasting from Thursday through Monday, Paul said traffic delays may stretch to Tuesday.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is taking steps to accommodate the heavy traffic expected.

"We suspended roadwork from Friday, July 1, until Tuesday, July 5, unless there is an emergency situation where we have to do roadwork," said Jacquelyn Goddard, director of communications at MassDOT.

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There will be no lane restrictions on the Bourne and Sagamore bridges to Cape Cod from Friday through Tuesday.

MassDOT has also urged drivers to remember that the Tobin Bridge features an all-electric tolling system. Those traveling on the Tobin without an E-ZPass will be mailed a bill.

A number of factors are contributing to increased travel this holiday weekend, according to Paul, including people being a little more secure in the economy as more people are employed.

Gas prices are also playing a significant role in the decision to travel this weekend, both statewide and nationally. According to AAA, the state's current average for regular gas is about $2.30 per gallon compared to $2.77 this time last year. Those numbers are almost identical to the national averages of $2.29 per gallon today and $2.77 a year ago.

"Gas prices, even though they've gone up recently, they're still about 50 cents lower than they were last year per gallon," Paul said. "Over the past year or so, people have been able to save quite a bit of money on gas. That translates to more disposable income."

Gregg Laskoski, a senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, said gas prices in Massachusetts have been relatively stable compared to a month ago.

"When you see low gas prices for such a long period of time, consumers instinctually say to themselves, 'It's not going to get much better than it is now,' " Laskoski said. "It becomes a catalyst for leisurely travel."

AAA anticipates that these will be the lowest Fourth of July gas prices the country has seen since 2005. Nationally, about 43 million people will be traveling for the holiday weekend, with about 36 million of those people taking trips by car.

To help keep drivers alert, MassDOT will be serving free coffee at 18 different service plazas from 10 p.m. July 4 until 5 a.m. July 5. Eleven of those plazas are located along the Mass. Turnpike. Others are located along Route 3 in Plymouth, Route 128 in Beverly, Interstate 95 in Newton and Lexington, Route 6 in Barnstable, and northbound and southbound plazas along Route 24, according to the MassDOT.

Goddard said MassDOT serves free coffee during many holiday weekends, including Memorial Day and Thanksgiving.

AAA expects more than 370,000 motorists to request roadside assistance during the holiday weekend, mainly because of dead car batteries, flat tires and lockouts.

"If you are going to be traveling, make sure that your car is in good basic condition. You just don't want to be broken down when it's busy," Paul said. "Pack a certain amount of patience with you."

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